Atapattu signs for Yorkshire for Super League

The ripple effect of the Women’s World Cup has seen Chamari Atapattu become the first Sri Lankan woman to sign with a franchise based T20 team.

Atapattu has signed on to spend the Super League with the Yorkshire Diamonds.

Australia opener Beth Mooney was forced to withdraw from the second edition of the T20 showpiece after suffering an injury in the World Cup.

The move came as a surprise to Atapattu who was on vacation with her family.

Atapattu told ESPNcricinfo: “I was on holiday with my family in Anuradhapura when I got a call, asking if I’m available. I said yes immediately. it was a pleasant surprise.

“I didn’t expect to play in the T20 league because most of the teams had already announced their squads.

“Playing in the Women’s Big Bash League was my original target, but this is a great opportunity. I wasn’t expecting it, but now I’m looking forward to learning a lot. This is a great step, not just for my career but also for women’s cricket in Sri Lanka.”

Her unbeaten 178 against Australia will go down as the innings of the tournament in the 2017 Women’s World Cup though Sri Lanka could only register one win.

Atapattu is looking to take her career forward with a more bold approach to the game.

She added: “I used to always fear playing big shots and getting out, but that knock changed my approach.

“To do it against a champion team gave me and the team so much belief. We used to think we have to fight and compete, but after that performance, we slowly started talking about looking to win. When I went out to bat in the next game, I felt a different batsman.”

 

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